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Student Name: __________________________________

Foundations C
Reading Progress
Test
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Part 1. Fluency

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the following passage and record your time at the bottom of the
page. When you have finished reading the passage, answer the comprehension questions.
DO NOT​ look back at the passage when you are answering the questions.

Do not turn the page until the proctor says go.

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Cubans spending more money to take care of their dogs

HAVANA, Cuba — Cuba is an island country near Florida. Lourdes Ortega worked as an
animal doctor there for nine years. Then an illness forced her to quit. She had to raise her three
sons with very little money.
Then, a second chance appeared. It was in the form of a puppy named Macorina. A
professor hired Ortega to feed, walk and brush Macorina. She paid Ortega $28 a month. This is
more than the usual pay for a government job in Cuba. Ortega started a dog grooming company.
Today, she runs the company out of her house. It brings in enough money to keep Ortega's
family fed.
More Cubans Making More Money
Cuba's upper-middle class is growing. The upper-middle class is a group of people who
have more money than most. In Cuba, the upper-middle class wants to own purebred dogs. These
are dogs of a certain kind. Chihuahuas and Pomeranians are purebred. People in Cuba are
spending a lot of money to take care of these dogs. As a result, new companies are opening.
Many dog grooming shops have opened in the last few years. This has created hundreds of new
jobs.
It's not all good news, though. The new companies show that the income gap is growing
in Cuba. An income gap is when some people make much more money than others. This is
interesting because Cuba is a communist country. It tried for many years to make everyone the
same. Leaders didn't want there to be different classes. Ortega said that most Cubans are still too
poor to buy purebred dogs. The people who do have had more chances to make money, she said.
Cubans Want Purebred Dogs
Some groups in Cuba are trying to find homes for street dogs. These dogs are not
purebred. Still, many Cubans with money would rather buy purebred puppies. In Cuba, cars and
new homes are very pricey. Even the very rich cannot buy them. A purebred dog costs much
less. It is another, cheaper way to show the world that you have money.
Luis Aguilar owns Luis Chow Chow. This shop does ear-cleaning, washing, and brushing
for dogs. It takes in 40 to 50 animals a day. Aguilar charges about a dollar for most visits.
Upper-middle class Cubans can afford this. Some services cost $10. Only the very rich pay for
these. Aguilar said more people are buying purebred dogs today. Caring for them takes time and
money. It's more work than caring for street dogs, he said.

Time:​__________________
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Part 1. Fluency
Comprehension Questions (5 points)

1. One of the statements below expresses the​ main idea​ of the passage. One statement is too
general and the other is too specific. Circle the correct main idea for this passage.

a. Dog businesses in Cuba are starting grow because more Cubans are
spending money on dogs.
b. In Cuba, caring for a purebred dog is more money than caring for a street
dog.
c. In recent years, dogs have become a very popular pets among the middle
and upper classes of Cuba.

2. From the passage, what can we infer?

a. Poor people in Cuba can’t have dogs.
b. Rich people in Cuba own two or more dogs.
c. Owning a street dog is more difficult than owning a purebred dog.
d. A rich person in Cuba would be able to buy a purebred dog.

3. What does the word ​grooming​ mean in this context?

“A professor hired Ortega to feed, walk and brush Macorina... Ortega started a dog ​grooming
company.”
a. shelter
b. hospital
c. pet care
d. walking

4. According to the passage, an “income gap” is:

a. The time a person spends between jobs.
b. When some people make much more money than others.
c. The time an employee spends waiting for a paycheck.
d. A problem created by communist governments.

5. According to the passage, what did Ortega do when she needed money?
a. Started taking care of purebred dogs.
b. Began taking care of a puppy.
c. Worked at an animal hospital.
d. Started her own grooming company.
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Part 2. Previewing and Scanning

Section 1: Previewing

INSTRUCTIONS: You have 30 seconds to look at the text quickly and 2 minutes to
answer the questions. After 30 seconds, ​DO NOT​ look back at the passage when you are
answering the questions.

Do not turn the page until the proctor says go.

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Thomas Thompson
Software Engineer
Email: ​email@thomsquared.com Phone: 555- 346- 7329

SUMMARY Specializing in advanced computer vision topics such as

facial recognition and full body motion-tracking. Seeking
work in the Boston area with exciting research and
application.

EDUCATION Rochester Institute of Technology.

B.S Computer Science 2010
Minor: Applied Mathematics

EMPLOYMENT New York , NY

June 2010 to April 2012
Emotional.ly
● Computer Vision Engineer
● Assisting with modeling and converting data in
formats for input into neutral networks.

Software Engineer Intern

June 2009 to August 2009
● Expanded Emotional.ly`s emotion recognition
algorithms to support six additional motion
classifications.
● Compressed data storage resulting in a 25% size
reduction without data loss.

Code:all Foundation
June 2008 to December 2008
● Python Course Planner
● Taught several live workshops for Code:all’s
students.

PROJECTS ● Intersect Image Sorter

● Applied basic computer vision techniques for
sorting.
● Created web stack using Django.

SKILLS ● Languages: C++, HTML, Java, JavaScript, Python,

Ruby.
● Platforms: Android, Django, jQuery, Matlab,
OpenCV.
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Section 1: Previewing Questions (2 points)

1. What did you see?

a. shopping list
b. resume
c. advertisement
d. lesson plan

2. What is this text used for?

a. advertise products
b. organize finances
c. apply for jobs
d. create a business
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Section 2: Scanning

INSTRUCTIONS: You have 2 minutes to scan the text on the next page and answer the
questions.

Do not turn the page until the proctor says go.

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Steps for Starting a Business--for Young People.

Step One​: Decide what kind of business to start. A person who likes to be outside might mow
lawns. A teen who babysits might start a day camp for children.
Step Two​: Make sure there is a need for the business. Neighbors who dislike lawn chores might
pay to have them done. Mothers of small children might send them to camp.
Step Three​: Answer the following question. How can the new business be better than business
that are already out there? A new lawn care service might cut grass free every fourth time. A day
camp for children might teach crafts.
Step Four​: Get the needed resources. A lawn care service needs a mower and other tools. A
camp needs snacks, craft supplies and a sheltered, shady space. It may need an indoor space too.
Some resources may have to be purchased. An entrepreneur might borrow money to buy them.
Step Five​: Advertise. Give out flyers or place an ad on a local paper.
Step Six​: Do what is promised in the ads. People will go back often to a business they can rely
on.
Step Seven​: Expand the business. When the money comes in, put some of it back into the
business. This might mean purchasing better equipment. It could mean hiring workers to take on
more customers.

Section 2: Scanning Questions (3 points)

1. What is a good job for someone who likes to be outside?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Other than give out flyers, how does the text suggest to advertise?
_____________________________________________________________________

3. What is the last step for a successful business?

_____________________________________________________________________
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Part 3. Reading Comprehension

INSTRUCTIONS: ​You have ​45 minutes​ to complete this section. When you finish, give your
test to the proctor.

Reading Passage 1
Read the passage and answer the questions below.

The Crittercam
One day Greg Marshal was exploring a coral reef when a shark swam by it. It had a
remora stuck to it. A remora is a fish that attaches itself to the skin of bigger fish to get a free
ride. Marshal wish that he could observed the shark`s life as well as the remora could. He had an
idea. Why couldn’t a camera be attached to a shark, just like a remora? This is how the
Crittercam was born.
The Crittercam is shaped like a torpedo, so it slides smoothly through the water. It does
not bother the shark. It is secured to the shark in a way that does not hurt its skin. The Crittercam
takes videos and send signals. The signals allow scientists in a boat to track the shark’s
movements. The Crittercam can record how deep and how fast the shark swims. After a while,
the wire attached to the Crittercam dissolves in the salt water. Then the boat picks up the
Crittercam.
Marshall used the Crittercam on white sharks for a film. The videos showed how sharks
hunt. From far below the surface, sharks watch for shadows above them. Then they strike.
Before the Crittercam, a shark could be tracked only briefly. Now scientists can watch a
shark’s every move and see what it sees. The Crittercam can be used on other animals, both in
the sea and on land.
Comprehension Questions (5 points)
1. What is the MAIN idea of this passage?
a. The Crittercam was invented to get new information about sharks.
b. Scientist have different ways of studying sharks and other sea or land animals.
c. The Crittercam sends out signals to a boat to track the shark’s movement.
d. Sharks are very difficult to track as they swim fast and are very dangerous.
2. What does the Crittercam allow scientists to do?
a. Take videos and send signals.
b. Track the shark’s movements.
c. Record how deep and fast the shark swims.
d. All the above.
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3. In paragraph 1, the word ​attached​ is closest in meaning to

a. glued
b. involved
c. related
d. located

4. What happens to the Crittercam after it has been in the water for a while?
a. Sharks eat it.
b. It breaks apart.
c. The boats pick it up.
d. Scientists collect it.

5. From the passage, it can be inferred that

a. the Crittercam helps scientists learn more about human body.
b. a shark attacks more fish when it is carrying a Crittercam.
c. The Crittercam could also be attached to whales.
d. other animals, both in the sea and on land, will like Crittercam.
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Reading Passage 2
Read the passage and answer the questions below.

A Bad Move

This was the fourth time this year that Lin was the new kid in school. Four moves in
seven months--all because her mother’s job kept them moving. She had decided back in
December that making new friends was a waste of time. She would join no more clubs. She
would add no new names to her phone list. On her first day, the teacher welcomed her to the
class and assigned a “buddy” to help her find her way around. This time, it was a girl named
Marley, or Carly, or something. Lin had stopped paying attention to kids’ names. Lin knew that
she would forget them all, just as the other kids from all those other schools had probably
forgotten her. As the teacher was giving Lin papers filled with assignments to make up, Lin
made her decision. At this school, she would be memorable. The next day, Tuesday, instead of
wearing the usual jeans and tee shirt, she wore a pair of bloomers from an old Raggedy Ann
Halloween costume. She didn’t brush her hair. On Wednesday, she wore an old dress of her
mother’s, along with soccer cleats. “At least they’ll remember me after we’ve moved away,” she
thought on Thursday as she put on a plaid skirt, a tee shirt, and a pile of long beaded necklaces
her grandmother had given her to play with. On Friday, they called her mother to school. She
was a bit worried about what her mom would say when she saw her outfit—a hula skirt from a
vacation in Hawaii worn on top of a pair of tattered jeans. From inside the principal’s office, she
heard her mother and Mrs. Leonard talking. “She’ll be so excited,” her mother said to Mrs.
Leonard in the hallway. “We’ve moved so often, but this time, we’re here to stay. I’ve got a new
job in town. Finally, she’ll be able to fit in.”

Comprehension Questions (6 points)

1. Lin and her mother moved ______ times.
a. seven
b. four
c. six
d. eight

2. Lin’s mother told Mrs Leonard that she got a new job while they were talking in the
a. hallway.
b. office.
c. classroom.
d. library.
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3. Now that Lin will be staying in town, how do you think she will feel about having worn
such weird outfits her first week at this school?
a. Sure that the school authorities will punish her.
b. Uncertain about being accepted by her peers.
c. Proud to have displayed her unusual wardrobe.
d. Relieved to stay in one place long enough to shop.

4. In the reading passage, the underlined words ​make up​ is closest in meaning to
a. prepare
b. invent
c. paint
d. complete

5. Number the statements below 1, 2, 3, and 4 to show the order in which the events took
place. ​(2 points)
_____ a. Lin decides to not join clubs and to not add new names to her phone list.
_____ b. Lin’s mom tells Mrs. Leonard that she and Lin will be staying in the town.
_____ c. Lin’s teacher gave her assignments to make up.
_____ d. Lin tries to be memorable by wearing unusual outfits to school.
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Reading Passage 3
Read the passage and answer the questions below.

The Storming of the Bastille

The Bastille was an infamous building in France. King Charles V built it in 1371 as a
castle. Later this stronghold was used as a prison. After 1670 it became a jail for people of
wealth and high rank who had fallen out of favor with the king. For more than a century, it
symbolized the ruthless power of the king and the wealthy. The structure was a fortress whose
walls were 10 feet thick. It was surrounded by a moat. Cannons pointed down from its highest
towers.
In the late 1780s, France had a very rigid, unfair social structure. The common people
were desperately poor and had little or no chance of bettering their position. Meanwhile, the
royal family, aristocrats, and church officials were rich. They were also arrogant. They believed
that they had the right to live in luxury while the masses suffered.
The times were ripe for revolution. The enlightenment was sweeping Europe. This
philosophy taught that all people had the basic right to life, liberty, and equality. Because of
these beliefs, the American colonies had revolted against British rule. The colonists won their
freedom. The French people acted on these same beliefs. In 1789 the French Revolution began
with the storming of the Bastille.

Comprehension Questions (4 points)

1. The ​main purpose​ of this passage is to
a. tell us who King Charles V is and where Bastille is.
b. describe the events after the storming of Bastille.
c. explain the events that led up to the storming of Bastille.
d. give information about the symbol of Bastille.

2. One can conclude from the passage that the American Revolution
a. was fought against the king of France.
b. helped to inspire the French Revolution.
c. led to the creation of the European Union.
d. supported British rule.

3. I​ n paragraph 3, the word ​revolted​ in the passage is closest in meaning to

a. disgusted
b. rebelled
c. ​annoyed
d. ​resulted
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4. In paragraph 2, what is the main idea? Write your answer in a ​full sentence.

Main idea: ____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

End of test.